New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to raise the retirement age of Central Health Services staff from 62 to 65 years in a bid to make up for shortage of health personnel needed to implement national health programmes.

The Prime Minister, on 31 May, had already approved the health ministry proposal.

The Central Health Service staff includes non-teaching staff, public health specialists and general duty medical officers working under the Central government.

India’s public health service is facing an acute shortage of doctors with only one doctor for every 1,700 people as against the World Health Organisation criteria of at least one doctor per 1,000 people.

Attempts by the government to improve public health service through other means have often faced resistance.

Medical students had earlier opposed the government move to make it mandatory for them to serve two years in a rural public health facility before applying for postgraduate courses.

Health minister J.P. Nadda had earlier said that the move will strengthen the healthcare sector with additional doctors and help the government roll out its people-oriented schemes.